Wanna get Hitched?
by Raine Hyrule
Summary: Two cross assassins, a museum, and a cursed ring. Add them all up and you get... A marriage proposal! Intrigued yet? Read on. :D
1. Culture Vultures

Hi! Yup, I'm still alive. :P

Sorry, I haven't really been writing much. I haven't updated since... Last year?

I just haven't been feeling inspired lately. Blame it on heart-break and school overloads. :o

Anyway. Here's a piece of fluff. With a history lesson! This is only the first half of the story...

I was actually supposed to upload this on Valentine's day, but the idle bug bit me. Read and review, please?

-loves- :)

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_Love's funny, isn't it? It can make even the most sensible person do the most nonsensical things. Take me, for instance. Here I was, waiting in Prontera for the boy I loved, so that I could help him with another one of his silly projects._

_Bellatrix Raine sat on one of a green bench, her hand lazily making ripples in the waters of the fountain. She stretched her arms and yawned. What was she doing here again? Oh yes, that's right. Mikoshi sure was taking a long time… She bit her lip and shifted position. Gawd, was she bored. She scratched her head and remembered what had conspired yesterday. It still sent her stomach flip-flopping whenever she thought about it. Of course, he was just joking. He was always joking._

"Follow me, ladies and gentlemen, into the Moroccan exhibit." Their guide, a greasy young man, gestured to the group, his coke-bottle glasses slipping down his nose-bridge, a shiny bronze nameplate pinned to his chest announced that his name was Horace, and he would be glad to help. He shuffled towards a glass case and waved nonchalantly at it. "In this case is a priceless artifact, taken from the tomb of the Pharaoh Osiris XVI and his true love Queen Nubila. The ring in that case is said to be the ring of the Pharaoh himself, but popular belief says that whoever wears it will be cursed. This is only one ring in a matched set, the other ring is said to have been worn by Queen Nubila herself. That ring, instead of being cursed, is popularly believed to be blessed by Isis, the snake goddess." Mikoshi Tamashii yawned loudly and ran his hand through his dark hair.

"Oh god, this is so boring." Bellatrix whacked him on the arm.

"Don't be rude, Miko. You promised me that you'd accompany me today, and that you wouldn't be the same annoying git that you always are." She raised an eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips. He shrugged.

"I didn't think it would be this dull. You sure like boring things."

"It's called culture, silly. Try it sometime." She pulled him towards a wall covered in funeral masks as their guide's reedy voice droned on.

"When Queen Nubila died of sickness at the devastatingly young age of nineteen, Pharao Osiris XVI wasted away, until he finally died at the age of twenty-five. He was buried in the same pyramid as she was, their tombs side by side forevermore." They moved on to a display of frescoes, many showing exquisite designs of Moroccans in long white robes, their hands raised to the sun while snakes danced about their ankles. "Their tombs were watched over by the priestesses of Isis as well as the priests of Ra." Mikoshi reached out to poke a marble statue of a priestess, but Bellatrix swatted his hand away before he could. The guide shot them a nasty look. "But when the dark times came, what we popularly call the first Ragnarok, the great priests and priestesses were sealed inside the tomb. Some say that the holy men and women did not die, but instead lived on, mutated by the evil that seeped through the Pyramid's stone walls." Bellatrix rolled her eyes. Now Mikoshi was making mock-eerie sounds, and waving his hands about like an idiot.

"Eviiiiiil!" He stage-whispered, as he stalked about the exhibit hall. The guide cleared his throat and, in a voice that was dry and highly unamused, he said

"Indeed." He moved on to another glass case, this one containing a couple of Ivory jars, their lids carved in the shape of animal heads. "It is a popular Moroccan belief that the priestesses mutated into half women, half snakes, able to live forever; in a twisted form of protection by their Snake goddess." He coughed once, twice, then started shuffling off into another wing. "Now, if you all would just follow me to the Amatsu exhibit…" The crowd followed him, leaving Bellatrix Raine and Mikoshi Tamashii alone in the hall.

"Hey, Bella? The guide went this way." The dark-haired cross assassin said to his colleague, whilst tugging on her purple scarf. She waved at him lazily.

"Isn't this ring so beautiful? It's hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so deadly." Mikoshi tilted his head at her, his piercing blue eyes drawing Bellatrix's purple ones away from the ring.

"Yeah..." He paused and shook his head. "Oh, you mean the curse?" Bella rolled her eyes and turned back towards the ring.

"Of course. What else could I have meant?" Both fell in a comfortable silence, as they gazed at the various artifacts. Bellatrix looked at the other relics, but none held her attention as steadily the ring did. She wandered back to it and placed her hand on the glass. "The story behind that ring and its partner is so romantic… I wish that someone loved me as much as Osiris did Nubila!" Mikoshi remained silent, his eyes examining the ring behind the glass. Then, his voice soft, he asked her,

"How do you know that no one does?" She shrugged and stared at him, puzzled.

"For one, I've never had a boyfriend." She sighed. He glanced at the ring once again.

"Wow, that's a nice looking ring. Cool ruby in the center, too." Bellatrix sighed wistfully.

"Yeah, it is pretty nice looking, huh? I read somewhere that Queen Nubila's ring is exactly the same, except with a diamond in the center." Mikoshi leaned on a bust of Pharao Osiris III.

"It looks pretty cool with all those funky inscriptions." Bella cocked her head at him.

"Hey, did you know that Osiris' and Nubila's wedding ceremony lasted one week, and the feasting after lasted for months?" Mikoshi scratched his nose.

"No, I didn't know that. The guide never mentioned anything like that." Bella shrugged.

"They married each other when Nubila was sixteen and Osiris was twenty. She was even younger than me when she got married… That's so weird!" Miko laughed at the expression on Bella's face.

"What's with the look?" He asked her, in between chortles.

"I feel like an old maid!" She cried, launching herself at Mikoshi. The cross assassin caught her, having to step back twice to recover his sense of balance. He strode over to a bench and sat down, placing Bellatrix carefully beside him. He patted her back tentatively. After a few moments, she pulled away and sighed. "Imagine that! I'm only nineteen and I already feel like an old maid." Her friend laughed again.

"You're one of a kind, Bella. One of a kind." This made her giggle, and she punched Mikoshi good-naturedly on the shoulder. "Oh hey, you know what? All this talk on marriage has got me thinking…" Bellatrix threw a sidewards glance at him, the purple of her eyes intensified by her expression of curiosity.

"About what, Miko?" He grinned at her.

"About marriage." She raised an eyebrow, disbelief clouding her face.

"You? Mister Playboy? Thinking about marriage?" Mikoshi pouted for a split second, then smirked. He ran a hand through his messy black hair.

"So… Like, wanna get hitched?" The dark-haired girl did a double-take. Acting as nonchalant as she could, even with her heart fluttering in her chest, she protested.

"Excuse me!" Mikoshi rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air.

"You know! Be my wife and love and obey me forever! Raise all the little Mikoshis that will be running around the house. You know. Marriage. A.K.A, volunteer slavery." Oh. He was joking. Bellatrix deflated a little inside, yet she forced herself to act as normally as she could. A joke. Yes, a joke was the perfect way to lighten the mood. Fight jokes with jokes, or so they say… Or something like that. She placed her hands on her hips.

"What! What kind of a proposal is that?" She tutted, shaking her head. "Tsk. Dreadful!" They both laughed, Mikoshi never losing the easy grin on his face. Suddenly, he stood up.

"Hey Bella, I have to go…"

"Huh? Why, Miko?" He ran his hand through his dark hair.

"I have to get something." Bellatrix stood up.

"Oh. You need help?" He shook his head.

"No no, I have to do this myself. I'll need your help after, though." She cocked her head and shrugged.

"I see… Alright then. Good luck!" Mikoshi gave her a little salute.

"I'll message you when I need help, okay?" Bella nodded and smiled.

"Sure. Take care, Miko!"

"Seeyah." And she watched him walk down the long hallway, until he turned a corner and disappeared from her sight. She had no doubt, though, that he would stride through the museum doors, walk down the white stone steps and then disappear into the crowd.

-


	2. Warp Sickness and Memories

Thank you so much to those who reviewed.

I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. :D

Here's the last half of this story. Hope you guys like it! I apologize in advance for all the dentist appointments you'd have to book because of this sugar-laden chappie. :P

Oh yeah, here're a few notes:

Frigg - Norse godess of marriage and motherhood.

Freya - Norse godess of love.

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Bellatrix lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her feet were propped up on a stone wall, and her hair was a brown cascade down her bedside. She was glaring at the pictures on her ceiling, most of which were of her and Mikoshi. There was one of them with the other Cross Sins, at Juno. There they were at Morroc, with their buddy Professor Farrell. As she stared at Mikoshi's easy grin and sparkling blue eyes, she couldn't help sighing. The scene in the museum once again in her head, and not for the first time.

"Wanna get hitched?" She heard him say. "Wanna get hitched?"

She groaned and flipped unto her belly.

"Why are men so dense?"

"Meow?" She looked up and saw her black feline staring at her, his head cocked in a human-like expression of curiosity.

"Not you, Crescent." She sat up and lifted the cat to her lap. She laughed and stroked his back. "You'll be the only man in my life from now on. At least you're always there when I need you." Crescent purred against her lap, stood, then bounded away. Bella rolled her eyes. "I guess I spoke too soon."

She shut her eyes, and saw Mikoshi behind her closed eyelids. He turned to her, smiled, and said "Wanna get hi-"

_Tap-tap-tap_.

Bellatrix opened her eyes with a snap. What in Utgard cou-

_Tap-tap-tap_.

She looked towards the window and saw a crow impatiently tapping its beak on the pane of glass. Huh? She strode over to the window and carefully lifted the window pane. As soon as she locked it in place, she reached over and gently unrolled the piece of parchment that was around the raven's leg. Written there, the black ink still fresh, the handwriting small and spidery, was the following message:

_Bella_

_I need you to help me with something. Come to Prontera right away._

_Mikoshi_

She snorted. Typical Mikoshi. Rude as always. Her eyes caught a little post-script near the very bottom of the parchment.

_P.S._

_Please?_

She laughed and shook her head. That boy was such a bundle of contradictions! Bellatrix smiled and pocketed the note as she strode out of her room. She needed to find Natsumi, the guild priestess. She needed to get to Prontera.

---

Bellatrix Raine leaned against the wall of a Pronteran Forge. Warping always made her feel sick. It didn't at all help that Natsumi wasn't exactly a warp portal aficionado.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" The blonde priestess cried, bowing once, twice, three times in apology. The cross assassin shook her head and closed her eyes.

"It's no problem… Really." Natsumi placed one of her hands on her cheek and continued blabbering excuses and apologies, heedless of the brunette's words.

"At least I did better than before, right? I mean, at least we didn't land in the fountain this time!" Bella rolled her eyes. She remembered that. One minute she was warm and dry in Morroc, the next moment, she was half-submerged in cold fountain water, a stone cherub peeing water on her head. She remembered climbing out of the fountain, sputtering and blinking water out of her eyes, and being met with Mikoshi's easy grin and amused eyes. How could she forget that? Miko made it a point to mention it every chance he had. Bella was suddenly aware that Natsumi had stopped speaking, and was looking at her curiously.

"Hmm? What is it, Nats?" The blonde squinted her eyes and shrugged.

"I need a smoke." She announced, and five seconds later, she produced a cigarette and a lighter shaped like a penguin. She clicked a small button imbedded at the penguin's feet and a blue flame shot out of its head. Bella found that extremely disturbing. Natsumi took a huge puff and exhaled it. "Ahh… That hits the spot. So, why did you need to go here?" Bella waved the smoke out of her face before answering.

"I'm waiting for someone. Oh, are priests even allowed to smoke?" The priestess shrugged, stretched her arms, and smiled.

"I won't be able to stop, even if we weren't. Bella, I think I'll visit some merchants for a bit. I _really_ need to buy a new dress. Something formal, and you know I don't have anything like that. See yah."

"Something formal? For what?" Natsumi waved nonchalantly.

"Bye, Bella. Take care." Bellatrix flashed a smile and hugged her.

"You too, Nats."

That was an hour ago.

Bellatrix Raine sat on a green bench, her hand lazily making ripples in the waters of the fountain. She stretched her arms and yawned. What was she doing here again? Oh yes, that's right. Mikoshi sure was taking a long time… She bit her lip and shifted position.

"Bella. It's me, Miko. Give me your hand." His breath tickled her skin. She quickly looked around, but saw no one. Suddenly, it dawned on her.

"Miko! What the heck! Why are you cloaking?" He laughed, softly.

"Trust me on this, Bella. Give me your hand." Reluctantly, she held out her right hand. It tingled as it was suddenly enveloped by something warm. It was, undoubtedly, Mikoshi's hand, but it made her feel weird to feel his hand but not see it. "Come on. He gently tugged her, and she slowly stood up. Still feeling strange, she let him lead her. As they walked, a million questions flooded Bellatrix's mind.

"Miko? What's happening? This isn't another one of your tricks, is it?" He laughed again.

"I wouldn't do that to you. All your questions will be answered in due time, milady." Bella raised her eyebrow.

"Because I swear! If you play ONE MORE prank on me, I'm going to-" Unexpectedly, she felt a hand softly covering her mouth.

"Hush, Bella." Then he removed his hand. The continued walking in silence. Meanwhile, her thoughts tumbled about in utter confusion. Mikoshi Tamashii, renowned prankster and loudmouth was telling her, Bellatrix Raine, to keep quiet. Has the world gone insane! She then realized that a sane person would never let themselves be led into an unknown place by an invisible person. It was ironic, yes, but then, she was too exasperated to appreciate the irony.

They had stopped moving. She looked around at her surroundings. She recognized this place! They were at the corner of Freya Avenue and Frigg Street, the very place where she and Mikoshi first met. She loved this place, mainly because it was slightly secluded from the hubbub of the city, though it was still within the walls of Prontera.

_A young girl cries, mourning the loss of her teddy bear. She heard a nervous cough, and she looked up. There was a young boy standing in front of her, holding out a spotted handkerchief._

"_Here." She took it and sniffed into it gratefully._

"_Thank you." She said, dabbing carefully at her eyes._

"_S'aright. Wanna play?" He beamed at her, revealing a gap-toothed grin._

_She smiled and nodded as she wiped away the last of her tears._

Bellatrix was suddenly aware of a flower that had landed on her head, its bright petals hanging in her face. She smiled and held it in her hand. It must have fallen from one of the many trees in the area. Then she did a double-take. All the trees here were elm trees. She twirled around, her scarf flying about, her jaw slowly opening. It was raining flowers! Illusion flowers, aloes, and various other flowers which she could not name were raining all around her; falling at her feet and in her hair. She laughed out loud, enveloped in the sweet aromas of the flowers. "What's going on?"

"Hi Bella." She twirled around, and was met with a Mikoshi that was, for once, serious. He was holding a single Illusion flower in his hands. He approached her and tucked the flower behind her ear.

"Mikoshi…" He stepped back, and Bella gasped. He was wearing a tuxedo. He knelt down in front of her and brought out a black velvet box. He opened it, revealing a ring, its sides embellished with arcane symbols, a single diamond scintillating in the middle. He bowed his head for a moment, then looked up into her eyes. He opened his mouth and, in a voice that was uncharacteristically tentative, he asked

"… Will you?" Bellatrix felt the blood rush to her face, and she opened her mouth to answer. After a few seconds, she closed it again. Suddenly, it struck her. He was proposing! He was actually proposing! She blinked and opened her mouth again. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't even think. She closed her mouth. Not finding the words to answer, she nodded her head. As soon as she did that, Mikoshi's mouth turned up at the corners, and he stood up. He raised his hands up and screamed. "Yahoooooooooooooooooooooo!" After that outburst, he coughed once, twice, and placed the ring on her finger. They stood like that, grinning foolishly at each other, then Bellatrix tip-toed and kissed him. His arms slowly but surely inched their way around her waist, while hers made their own careful journey around his neck. They leaned in close, closer, and…

The world seemed to explode. Well, not in a bad way, of course. But the sort of explosion that gives birth to a thousand stars… Not in the literal sense, but the- Shut up, brain! Bellatrix silently admonished herself. A kiss is just a kiss. Yeah, but this kiss… This kiss was perpetual bliss. Wait, wasn't that a song or some- SHUT UP, BRAIN! And her thoughts fell silent, her mind filled only with this moment that she wanted to remember forever. She was dimly aware of a dull roar in the background. Wait a minute. Pivotal moments such as this weren't supposed to have background music, unless of course, it's the sappy sort of music that always accompanied movies. She broke the kiss and looked up, her eyes growing wide. Their whole guild was there, cheering the couple on.

"Bella, congratulations!" Natsumi was there, waving at her and holding up a blue, beaded dress. "See? I made sure to pick a good dress for your wedding."

Bellatrix looked back at Mikoshi who grinned and shrugged. She stepped away from him and placed her hands on her hips. "You were so sure I'd say yes that you informed the whole guild of our wedding before you even proposed? You conceited ape!" The dark-haired cross assassin stepped closer and flashed his infuriatingly charming smile.

"Ah, but now I'm _your_ conceited ape." Bella considered this, smiled, and kissed back as he placed his lips on hers.

True, true.


End file.
